1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a GUI (Graphical User Interface) with a display plane displayed on a display part, and more particularly to a user interface at the time of generating a derivative display plane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A technique is generalized in which a plurality of logical display planes (hereinafter referred to as sheets) are superimposed or arranged side by side on a display part and a cursor is positioned on a component depicted in the sheets by a pointing device such as a mouse or a track ball, at which position a button of the mouse or the like is clicked so that information processing proceeds. The technique is called GUI (Graphical User Interface), and is used in the XWindow system in the UNIX and the Windows of Microsoft.
In the GUI system described above, all event outputs and operations are carried out through a display sheet. Hence, when the process proceeds while transitions of the procedure for information processing takes place, it is necessary to create derivative sheets for operation corresponding to the contents of changed works and display the derivative sheets. There are many cases where the derivative sheet after a transition has a display pattern common to that included in the derivative sheet before the transition takes place. Hence, the derivative sheet after a transition is generally created by copying the derivative sheet before the transition takes place, and arranging the copied derivative sheet so that a component in the copied derivative sheet is modified or a new component is added thereto and that the execution procedures defined in the components are modified.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a computer system. A basic sheet 101 and a derivative sheet 201 obtained by copying the basic sheet 101 are displayed on a display part 60 connected to a computer main body 100 so that the basic sheet 101 and the derivative sheet 201 are arranged side by side. The basic sheet 101 and the derivative sheet 201 have common components (a telephone mark 111, a character train xe2x80x9ctelephonexe2x80x9d 121, a telephone mark 211 and a character train xe2x80x9ctelephonexe2x80x9d 221). By manipulating a mouse 10, a cursor 10K on the display part 60 is moved to, for example, the telephone mark 211 in the derivative sheet 201. Then, the click operation on the mouse 10 is carried out. Hence, a predetermined procedure (event) is initiated, and a remote party is called or rings a bell.
FIG. 2 is a diagram of conventional display operations and display states, and shows a sequence in which the derivative sheet 203 is created from the basic sheet 101 on the display part 60.
Referring to FIG. 2, the basic sheets (101, 102) and the derivative sheets (201-203) are defined by sheet configuration data stored in corresponding display plane memories (1001-2003), and are displayed or executed by a structure shown in FIG. 3, which will be described later. The corresponding display plane memories denote memory areas allocated in a memory built in the computer main body 100 or a memory externally connected thereto.
On the display part 60, two components are set in the basic sheet shown in the upper left portion in FIG. 2 in which display positions and a display frame are defined. The first component is the telephone mark, which is displayed in the determined position in which the telephone mark 111 is set. When the not shown cursor of the mouse 10 is positioned on the telephone mark 111 and the click operation is carried out, the already defined procedure (event) is executed. For example, the bell is ringed. When the procedure of dialing a destination is predetermined, the destination is called. The second component is a character train, which is displayed, with given size fonts, in the position to which xe2x80x9ctelephonexe2x80x9d 121 is set.
The derivative sheet 201 shown in the upper right portion in FIG. 2 is created by copying the contents of the basic sheet 101 stored in the display plane memory 1001 to the display plane memory 2001. Then, the contents of the display plane memories 1001 and 2001 are modified or components are added thereto. That is, the basic sheet 101 shown in the upper left portion in FIG. 2 is modified so that the telephone mark 111 is changed to a mail mark 112 and the procedure is changed from ringing or dialing to voice (for example, xe2x80x9ca mail has arrivedxe2x80x9d). Further, the character train xe2x80x9ctelephonexe2x80x9d 121 is changed to a character train xe2x80x9cmailxe2x80x9d 122. Thus, the basic sheet 102 shown in the lower left portion in FIG. 2 is created.
A note symbol 311 is added to the derivative sheet 201 shown in the upper right portion in FIG. 2. Further, the derivative sheet 202 shown in the lower left portion in FIG. 2 is created, which define a procedure of, for example, outputting a melody. In this case, it is necessary to reflect, on the derivative sheet 202 shown in the right center portion, the modified portion of the basic sheet 102 shown in the lower left portion. That is, the derivative sheet 203 shown in the lower right portion in FIG. 2 is created as follows. The telephone mark 212 and its procedure xe2x80x9cbell ringing or dialingxe2x80x9d in the derivative sheet are changed to the postal code and a voice message xe2x80x9cmail has arrivedxe2x80x9d. Further, the character train xe2x80x9ctelephonexe2x80x9d 222 is changed to a character train xe2x80x9cmailxe2x80x9d. As described above, the work of creating the derivative sheet 203 shown in the lower right portion of FIG. 2 is additionally required.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a structure of a sheet processing means for executing the above-mentioned display plane work. The sheet processing means is implemented by the computer main body 100. A signal indicating the coordinates of the cursor 10K on the display part 60 is input to a coordinates detecting part 11 by clicking a not-shown button of the mouse 10. A click signal depending on the clicking way (single click, double click, drag and drop) is input to a signal discriminating part 12.
A sheet creation executing part 13 supplied with the output signals of the coordinates detecting part 11 and the signal discriminating part 12 accesses a memory 41 through a read/write control part 14. Then, the sheet creation executing part 13 retrieves a sheet registration area 42 formed in the memory 41, and searches for a sheet on which the cursor 10k is displayed at present. If a plurality of sheets are displayed in an overlap formation, the sheet having priority over the other sheets (which is, for example, the sheet displayed in the forefront of the overlap formation) is selected as the first sheet.
The sheet processing means can selectively execute a take-over mode, a modify mode and an execution mode indicated by a mode signal input to the sheet creation executing part 13 by an operation on the mouse 10 or an operation on a data input means such as a keyboard.
[When the Take-over Mode is Set by the Mode Signal]
A new sheet creation is selected from a menu that is not shown, and a display plane memory for storing information concerning parts which should be set in the newly created sheet (derivative sheet 201) is obtained in the memory 41. When such a display plane memory is obtained in the sheet registration area 42, the derivative sheet 201 is drawn in a predetermined position on the display part 60 so as to have a given frame width. The mouse 10 is manipulated so as to move the cursor 10K to a predetermined position of, for example, a tool bar of the basic sheet 101. In this position, the button of the mouse 10 is dragged. Thereafter, the cursor 10K is moved to the derivative sheet 201 to which the dragged contents should be copied, and is then dropped.
The sheet creation executing part 13 accesses the memory 41 via the read/write control part 14 in response to the drag and drop signals from the mouse 10, and reads the components of the basic sheet 101 (for example, the first sheet) and the information thereon from a component registration area 43. Then, the derivative sheet 201 (for example, the second sheet in the sheet registration area and the secondsheet-related component registration part in the component registration area 43) takes over all the components and information.
[When the Modify Mode is Set by the Mode Signal]
The sheet creation executing part 13 compares the display positions of the components set in the area in the sheet registration area 42 corresponding to the basic sheet 101 (for example, the first sheet) with the positions indicated by the cursor 10K. If there is a component which coincides with the position indicated by the cursor 10K, the sheet creation executing part 13 performs a modifying work for components. More particularly, the sheet creation executing part 13 accesses the component registration area 43 via the read/write control part 14, and reads the information concerning the components of the first sheet. Then, the display plane memory 1001 is modified in accordance with instructions from the data input means such as the keyboard which is not shown. If there is no component which coincides with the position indicated by the cursor 10K, an addition work is performed so that a component is newly registered in accordance with instructions from the data input means such as the keyboard. A sheet drawing execution part 50 displays, on the display part 60 in real time, the modified basic sheet 101 on the basis of the information from the memory 41 read by the read/write control part 14.
[When the Execution Mode is Set by the Mode Signal]
The sheet creation executing part 3 searches for the component corresponding to the position in which the cursor 10K is located and the button of the mouse is clicked. If a procedure is defined for the present component, the sheet creation executing part 13 instructs the sheet drawing execution part 50 to read and execute the above procedure.
The above-mentioned prior art requires the initial work at the time of creating transition display planes in which all information of the original sheet is copied unconditionally. Hence, if a modification such as a correction or addition is given to one of the copying sheet and the copied sheet, such a modification cannot directly be reflected on the other sheet. The above is particularly conspicuous in a case where a large number of components are included in the sheets in a complex formation or a case where a derivative sheet is created by repeatedly performing the copy work several times in a hierarchical formation.
An object of the present invention is to provide an information display device in which the above problems are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an information display device in which, when derivative sheets having a hierarchical arrangement are created, correction work for such derivative sheets is reduced as much as possible, and a modification given to copy-source sheets can easily be reflected on derivative sheets, and in which a procedure (event) can definitely be executed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer readable recording medium in which a program for realizing the above information display device is stored.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by an information display device capable of displaying logical display planes, the device comprising: first means for storing items of display plane forming information respectively defined for the logical display planes; and second means for displaying the logical display planes on a screen part in accordance with the items of the display plane forming information, wherein the items of the display plane forming information of logical display planes that have a hierarchical relationship include information describing the hierarchical relationship and commonly own attribute information concerning a component commonly used in the logical display planes having the hierarchical relationship.
The above structure may be configured so that, when the second means displays a first logical display plane, the second means refers to the display plane forming information concerning the first logical display plane, and the display plane forming information concerning a second logical display plane which is located in a hierarchical level higher than that in which the first logical display plane is located.
The above structure may be configured so as to further comprise third means for, when it is instructed to create a second logical display plane from a first logical display plane, creating the display plane forming information concerning the second logical display plane including information indicating the first logical display plane and for storing the created display plane forming information in the first means.
The above structure may be configured so that: the display plane forming information of the logical display plane located in an upper layer of the hierarchical relationship includes the attribute information concerning the components which are common to the logical display plane located at a lower layer; and the display plane forming information concerning the display plane located at the lower layer includes the attribute information inherent in the logical display plane located at the lower layer.
The above structure may be configured so that the attribute information includes at least one of information concerning a display of the components and the attribute information concerning procedures which should be carried out with regard to the components.
The above objects are also achieved by an information display device comprising: memory means for storing display plane forming information items of information plane forming information respectively corresponding to a plurality of logical display planes; display plane generating means for registering display plane forming information concerning a new display plane and modifying the display plane forming information concerning the existing logical display plane; derivative display plane generating means for setting a take-over relationship between the items of the display plane forming information concerning the logical display planes stored in the memory means; and logical display plane displaying means for displaying the logical display plane to be displayed on the basis of the display plane forming information concerning the logical display plane to be displayed and the display plane forming information of the logical display plane which is a take-over source with respect to the logical display plane to be displayed.
The information display device may be configured so as to further comprise input means for inputting necessary instructions to the display plane generating means and the derivative display plane generating means, and display means for displaying the logical display plane.
Further, the above objects are achieved by a computer readable recording medium storing a computer program comprising: a memory function part for causing a computer to store, in a memory, items of display plane forming information respectively corresponding to a plurality of logical display planes; a display plane generating function part for causing the computer to register, in the memory, display plane forming information concerning a new display plane and modify the display plane forming information concerning the existing logical display plane; a derivative display plane generating function part for causing the computer to set a take-over relationship between the items of the display plane forming information concerning the logical display planes stored in the memory; and a logical display plane displaying function part for causing the computer to display the logical display plane to be displayed on the basis of the display plane forming information concerning the logical display plane to be displayed and the display plane forming information of the logical display plane which is a take-over source with respect to the logical display plane to be displayed.